Book 01 Chapter 25 Verbs Mood

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25.1 WHAT MOOD IS

The mood of a verb or verb phrase indicates your attitude toward a state-ment as you make it. Do you think of it as a statement of fact? Then youwill use the indicative mood. Do you think of it as a command? Then youwill use the imperative. Do you think of it as a wish, a recommendation,or an imaginary condition? Then you will use the subjunctive.

25.2 USING THE INDICATIVE

The indicative mood is for statements of actuality or strong probability:

The spine-tailed swift flies faster than any other bird in the world.The Missouri and Mississippi Rivers rose to record heights in 1993.

Midwesterners will remember the flooding for many years to come.

Use do, does, or did with the indicative for emphasis.

25.3 USING THE IMPERATIVE

The imperative mood is for commands and requests made directly.

1. Use the bare form of the verb for commands addressed entirely to others:

Vote for change.

Fight pollution.

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Be yourself.

Kindly send me your latest catalog.

2. When a command or suggestion includes yourself as well as others,use let us or lets before the bare form of the verb:

Let us negotiate our differences in a spirit of mutual trust and respect. Lets cooperate.

25.4 USING THE SUBJUNCTIVE: MODAL AUXILIARIES

The subjunctive mood is for statements of hypothetical conditions or of wishes, recommendations, requirements, or suggestions. To express thesubjunctive, you often need one of the modal auxiliaries, which includecan, could, may, might, must, ought, should, and would. Use them as follows:

1. US E CA N TO EXPRESS

CAPABILITY : Can the Israelis and the Palestinians ever make peace?

PERMISSION : Why cant first-year college students live off campus?

In formal writing, permission is normally signified by may rather than can,which is reserved for capability. But can may be used informally to expresspermission and is actually better than may in requests for permission in-

volving the negative. The only alternative to cant in such questions is theawkward term maynt.

2. US E COULD TO EXPRESS

THE OBJECT OF A WISH : I wish I could climb Mount Everest.

A CONDITION : If all countries of the world could set aside their antago-nism once every four years, the Olympics would be truly international.

A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY : A major earthquake could strike Californiawithin the next ten years.

On the distinction between would and could , see item 8 below.

3. US E MAY TO EXPRESS

A MILD POSSIBILITY : The next president of the United States may be awoman.

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PERMISSION : Students who cannot afford tuition may apply for loans.

4. US E MIGHT TO EXPRESS

A REMOTE POSSIBILITY : Biogenetic experiments might produce some hor-ribly dangerous new form of life.

THE RESULT OF A CONTRARY - TO -FACT CONDITION : If I had driven all night,I might have fallen asleep at the wheel.

5. US E OUGHT TO EXPRESS

A STRONG RECOMMENDATION : The Pentagon ought to eliminate waste indefense spending.

LIKELIHOOD : The new museum ought to be ready by next fall.

Ought is normally followed by the infinitive.

6. US E MUST TO EXPRESS

AN ABSOLUTE OBLIGATION : Firefighters must be ready for action at anyhour of the day or night.

A FIRM CONCLUSION : William Bligh, who sailed a small boat nearly fourthousand miles, must have been an extraordinary seaman.

7. US E SHOULD TO EXPRESS

ADVICE : Students who hope to get into medical school should takebiology.

EXPECTATION : By the year 2050, the population of the world should exceed eight billion.

8. US E WOULD TO EXPRESS

THE RESULT OF A CONDITION OR EVENT : If a one-kiloton neutron bombwere exploded a few hundred feet over the Earth, it would kill everyonewithin a radius of three hundred yards.

THE OBJECT OF A WISH : Some people wish the federal government would support them for the rest of their lives.

Both would and could may be used to express the object of a wish. But Iwish you could go means I wish you were able to go; I wish you wouldgo means I wish you were willing to go.

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MISUSING MODAL AUXILIARIES

Avoid putting two or more modal auxiliaries together:

I might could move to Calgary.

[or] I might could move to Calgary.

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25.5 USING THE SUBJUNCTIVE: SPECIAL VERB FORMS

The subjunctive mood is sometimes indicated by a special verb forminstead of by a modal auxiliary.

1. The present subjunctive is the same in form as the bare form (infinitiveform) of the verb, and it is the same with every subject. Use the presentsubjunctive to express a hope, a requirement, a recommendation, ademand, a request, or a suggestion:


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INDICATIVE SUBJUNCTIVE

God has mercy on us. God have mercy on us!

The queen lives. Long live the queen!

A premed student normally takes biology. The college requires thatevery student take first-yearEnglish.

The toxic dump is still open. Protesters demand that thedump be closed.

The trustees meetings are closed. The students demand thatthose meetings be open.

The present subjunctive of the verb be is be with every subject (dump beclosed; meetings be open).

2. The past subjunctive is the same in form as the common past, exceptthat the past subjunctive of be is were with every subject. Use the past sub-junctive to express a wish for something in the present:

INDICATIVE (FACT ) SUBJUNCTIVE (WISH )

I have five dollars. I wish (that) I had a hundred dollars.

I am a pauper. I wish (that) I were a millionaire.

I am taking Math 36. I wish (that) I were taking Math 23.

I live in Ottawa. I wish (that) I lived in Vancouver.

I am in New York. I wish (that) I were in Texas.

It is summer. I wish (that) it were winter.

3. The past perfect subjunctive is the same in form as the common pastperfect. Use it to express a wish for something in the past:

INDICATIVE (FACT ) SUBJUNCTIVE (WISH )

I saw the second half of the game. I wish (that) I had seen the first. [or] Iwished (that) I had seen the first.

I was there for the second half. I wish (that) I had been there for thefirst.

I had no binoculars with me. I wish (that) I had had them.

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MISUSING WOULD HAVE IN CONDITIONAL CLAUSES

Avoid using would have to express a condition of any kind:

*If I would have attended the meeting, I would have attacked the proposal.

Use would have only to express the result of a condition:

EDITED : If I had attended the meeting, I would have attacked theproposal.

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Book 01 Chapter 25 Verbs Mood

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